Page 8 of Cash

Evie woke up the next morning, smiling to herself thinking about last night. Their first round of sex had been hot, but there was something about the sex from the middle of the night that felt different. He had kissed her, and it had been everything. That kiss. She had never been kissed like that in her whole life. He kissed like nothing in the world existed but them, and for that moment nothing else did. She wanted more.

She turned in bed to reach for him only to find herself alone.

It hit her like a blow to the gut. Her heart sank. She should’ve known better. She had walked into this hotel room knowing she was here for meaningless sex, but some time over the night that had changed. What they had done in the middle of the night didn't feel like meaningless sex. He had kissed her. He had broken his own ground rule. She was stupid for thinking that made it something it clearly wasn't.

She got up and got her dress back on. She went to grab her purse, but when she picked up her clutch it felt empty. On the floor were its contents, it must have fallen out when he had fucked her on said desk. She quickly put it all back in her purse and tried to sneak out of the hotel without being seen by too many people. Leaving a hotel room at seven in the morning in a sparkly evening gown wasn't a great look.

She made her way to the elevator and to her abject horror, when the door slid open, her ex-boyfriend's mother was in the elevator. What were the fucking odds? A large part of her wanted to hide her face and let the doors close.

"Evelyn?" she asked in surprise. Fuck. She guessed she was doing this.

"Hello Mrs. Winters," Evie said, trying to hide the shame in her eyes.

"What on earth are you doing here dressed like that this time of day?"

"I was at the gala last night. I stayed the night, and wouldn't you know it, I left my bag in the car."

The woman just looked over her glasses at her. The shame was turning to anger. Anger at herself, but also at Cash. If he hadn't just left like that maybe she wouldn't have found herself on the elevator with this woman under her judging gaze.

"How's Bryan?" Evie continued.

Why did she ask that? She was kicking herself for even asking about him. She just couldn't tolerate the silence anymore.

"He's good. Just got a promotion."

"Good for him," Evie said, watching the elevator, wishing it would be faster. Being trapped in here with this woman while doing the walk of shame was her personal version of hell.

"How is your sister doing?" Mrs. Winters continued.

"Wedding planning is coming right along."

Thankfully they made it to the lobby and the door slid open.

“Tell your mother hello for me,” she said, her voice still dripping with judgment, even if the words themselves were not.

"It was nice to see you Mrs. Winters. I'm sure I’ll see you soon." Evie turned and made a b-line to her car. She was furious and embarrassed, barely holding it together by the time she got to her car.

She got in and slammed the door. "Fucking Cash Hawthorn!" She screamed into the void of her car. She should have known better than to have a one-night stand with one of Hockey's biggest playboys. While the sex had been the best of her life, it wasn't worth this.

It had felt like a hookup, but then he woke her up in the middle of the night and it felt different. And the sex itself had been tender and vulnerable, not just the straight up fucking they had done earlier. She had allowed herself to think it was something it clearly wasn't. And maybe there was no logical leap to blaming him for the embarrassment in the elevator, but she couldn’t care less. If she hadn't spent the night with him, she wouldn’t have been caught in a walk of shame by her ex's mother.

The relief she felt pulling up to her townhouse was palpable. She made it in, showered, put on some comfy clothes, and prepared for a day of self-pitying and bad TV. But as she was sitting down with a cup of coffee her phone started to ring. Only a handful of people called her these days, and one of them was...her mother.

Sure enough.

"Hi mom," she said.

"Evelyn. I just talked to Mrs. Winters. She said she ran into you at the hotel this morning STILL in your evening wear. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Evie's head dropped in her hands. It hadn’t even taken two hours for word to get back to her mother. It should be shocking, but she wasn’t even a little surprised. Why did she answer her phone?

"Evelyn?" her mother demanded.

"Mom, it's fine. I just stayed over with a friend."

"A friend?"

" Do you really want me to get into this?"

---